Lyons, Longmont students impacted by flood coping at Camp Noah

By Whitney Bryen

Times-Call community reporter

Posted:
07/31/2014 06:14:24 PM MDT

Updated:
07/31/2014 06:16:36 PM MDT

Eric Hanson, dressed as Noah, reads a chapter out of "The Story of Ruby Bridges" by Robert Coles during Camp Noah Thursday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lyons. (Matthew Jonas / Longmont Times-Call)

More than 50 kids from Lyons and Longmont screamed at the top of their lungs Monday as a man dressed like Noah, from the biblical story of Noah's arc, stood at the back of a pavilion near the St. Vrain River in Lyons.

Noah, played by Eric Hanson, has been leading the kids through a weeklong camp at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lyons that teaches resiliency to children impacted by natural disasters.

"He was like a rockstar with all these kids jumping up and down, screaming and waving their hands," said the camp's site facilitator Emily Flemming. "And then behind him was the river and all this damage and construction that's still there. It was a powerful moment."

About 56 kindergarten through sixth grade students that were impacted by the September flood are learning to cope and move on this week through skits, crafts, group activities and rest at Camp Noah.

The camp was launched in 1997 as a Lutheran vacation bible school in Minnesota in response to flooding in the Red River Valley. In 2006, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota took the program to victims of Hurricane Katrina. The group launched a nonprofit, developed a secularized curriculum and, now, travels the country hosting camps for children impacted by natural disasters.

The organization contacted Emily Flemming, a Lyons resident and pastor at Lyons Community Church, early this year about bringing the camp to Lyons.

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Each day of the camp focuses on a different coping skills that will help the students move forward from the flood and deal with new life challenges as they come, Flemming said.

Students celebrated Noah's 600th birthday, as well as their own Monday. Some children didn't get the chance to celebrate this year because flood recovery has created a distraction for many families, Flemming said, so each camper was given a gift and shared cake.

Campers told storm stories Tuesday, talked about their feelings during and after the flood Wednesday and learned about bouncing back Thursday. Activities will focus on helping others Friday.

Flemming hopes students will take the skills they learn this week home to their families, she said.

The Lyons camp is one of about 30 camps that the nonprofit will host this year, including 15 in Moore, Oklahoma following the May 20, 2013, tornado, said the camp's team leader Lisa Hansen.

The camps cost about $20,000 to put on, Hansen said, and are funded by donations, churches and grants.

Dozens of volunteers are helping 13 national camp staff this week, Flemming said.

Lyons resident Sarah Hunter, a school social worker for Adams 12 Five Star Schools, was the mental health professional on staff at this week's camp.

Hunter offered private counseling and a quiet space for campers who felt overwhelmed or needed additional support throughout the week. Hunter also encouraged two families to consider seeking ongoing support, she said.

Hunter's children, Lauren and Matt, attended the Lyons camp.

"We were sleeping and the sirens went off and woke everybody up, but not me," Lauren, 6, said. "Then a bunch of people came over and it was crowded in our house but I didn't have to share my room."

The Hunter family was trapped in Lyons for three days in their dry, undamaged home that became a hub for five local families before evacuating, Hunter said. The family stayed with friends in Silverthorne, Niwot and then Lafayette before finally returning to Lyons three months after the flood.

The Hunters stayed with family friends in Lafayette, which was like a play date every day and sleepovers every night, Lauren said.

Meanwhile, Matt, 8, was anxious to get home to his room.

"It was crowded," Matt said. "I missed my room the most because I like to go in there and be alone sometimes."

More than 10 months after the flood, Matt said, he doesn't think about the flood much anymore though signs of damage are still everywhere.

"It's looks like everything is back to normal but it's not," Matt said. "I miss the parks the most. We don't get to go there very much anymore."

Those are just some of the stories that Matt and Lauren shared at Camp Noah this week with other area students.

Matt said hearing similar stories from other kids makes him feel better about his own experience.

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